Over Soup & Donuts
by Svelte Rose
Summary: “You know who’s cute? Cedric, that’s right, Cedric,“ Irma continued as though she never heard HayLin. HayLin goggled at her, “Whawhat? You mean that large, mutant snake of a thing...Cedric?“


**Title**: Over Soup & Donuts by Svelte Rose

**List**: Beta- Hero (Theme 1- Epidemic)

**Fandom**: W.I.T.C.H.

**Pairing**: Phobos x Will

**Any Applicable Warnings**: Disgusting mixtures of food but that's it.

**Community**: 30kisses at LiveJournal

It had come swiftly and worked very fast. Irma was the first to fall victim. Then Hay-Lin and Cornelia. Taranee held off the soreness in her throat as the result from screaming too much at her siblings. That theory had been quickly denounced when Will's eyes fell upon her absent seat in class, just a scant few days before winter vacation.

Sighing, the girl put her bag next to her own seat and watched as only half the class filtered in that morning. Most students had fallen ill to the epidemic flu that had been spreading for the past week or so; the red-haired girl could see that some of those who had come in were starting to show signs. Rough voices, tired dispositions, weary eyes…

It was a wonder she hadn't gotten sick yet but when she talked to Hay-Lin about it, the Chinese girl attributed it to the Heart of Kandrakar.

It was matching the beat of her heart, a soft-type of warmness enveloping her breast pocket.

"Ah-choo!" One of her classmates sneezed to their left, which was unfortunately the seat that Will occupied.

"Soureey…" Came the nasally response.

Will shook her head 'no' and smiled while pulling out a tissue for the poor girl.

"Thanks…"

"No problem."

* * *

Autumn was her favorite season. It was the sort of season where summer still had its lingering presence but the cool air from the north wanted to make itself known. A small battle between hot and cold would result in the type of weather where you could go walking down the street in nothing but a blazer, t-shirt, and jeans. 

However, winter was quickly moving in as the last crimson leaves made their fall to the ground and summer receded. There would be a slight sprinkling of snow here and there allowing a chilling cold to settle in the air.

Will pulled her blazer even tighter around herself. Under her arm was a bag of donuts, some which she hoped to share with a sick Hay-Lin and maybe keep the girl some company.

She needed the company as well.

* * *

"Hey Irma!" She was happily satisfied when she met one of her friends, bundled up in god-knows how many layers. 

The Guardian of Water waved weakly at her before letting the arm drop to her side. "Hey, what's up!" Even at her worst, Irma still sounded like a thousand dollars…in a raspy sort of way.

"Nothing, I thought I'd drop by for some of Hay-Lin's grandma's famous hot and sour soup…I brought some donuts, if you want any?" Will shook the bag back and forth.

Irma's eyes lit up like a little child's on Christmas Day. She always had a soft spot for those sweet pastries. "Yeah!" Came the enthusiastic response.

* * *

Once they were settled in a corner with two large pots of jasmine tea, Hay-Lin appeared with three bowls of soup. Hot and sour for Will, egg drop for Irma, and wonton for herself. Her nose was bright red and her eyes were bright with tears. She sniffled, wanting to sneeze but held off the urge until she set down the bowls and turned away from the table. 

"BLAH-CHOO!" She sneezed into a handkerchief.

Several of the patrons jumped, some of the younger ones snickered. Hay-Lin rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Will. Irma was already digging hungrily into the soup and taking a bite out of her donut. She then ignored the disgusted looks of her two friends when she dunked the donut in the soup, pulling it out, and sticking it in her mouth.

"Mmm…delicious."

"I think the flu rendered her taste buds useless." Will muttered with a slight gag.

"Chinese soup and American pastries- best combo ever!" Irma giggled slightly before coughing a bit.

Hay-Lin patted her friend's back, holding up a cup of the tea. "Here, honey."

Glad to finally be in the company of her friends after several days of not seeing them, Will just watched, amused by it all. She giggled when Irma got a green look on her face after trying the soup with a Boston Créme donut and then outright laughed when Hay-Lin snorted in response.

"So, have you seen Matt these last few days?" Hay-Lin asked, breaking Will's reverie.

The red-head ignored the kissing sounds Irma made and shook her head. "We sort of had a fight, he and I haven't been talking for a while."

Hay-Lin cast a sympathetic look to Will and then glared at Irma. Patting the Guardian of the Heart's back, she sighed, "It'll be okay hon, have you tried calling him?"

"Don't really want to." Will sighed, gulping her lukewarm cup of tea down before pouring herself another one.

The other two blinked at each other and turned their speculative gazes on their leader, "What?" Both simultaneously chorused.

Will flushed, not used to being the center of attention but receiving it nonetheless. "He and I haven't been getting along, I mean it's cool and everything between us but I kind of get embarrassed when I kiss him. It's like he's a brother or something,"

"Well, I'd like to have him as a brother!" Irma cackled, her words having a double entendre.

Hay-Lin twitched, "Not only is that fifty-shades of illegal, but…"

"_Ewe_." Will scrunched her nose.

Irma just shrugged, giving the indication she had been joking. There was no need, really. The other two already knew. "It's not as though we have a surplus of hot guys,"

The other two nodded in agreement. There really wasn't…

"I mean the most action I got was that creepy little stalking, photo-taking of a brat-,"

"Who's name is Martin…" Hay-Lin drawled, sipping her tea delicately.

"You know who's cute? Cedric, that's right, Cedric," Irma continued as though she never heard Hay-Lin.

Hay-Lin goggled at her, "Wha-what? You mean that large, mutant snake of a thing Cedric?"

There was a slight ruffling to their left but they ignored it.

"The one and only," Irma grinned goofily. Her defenses quickly reared its head though when she said, "Hey! You have to admit, in his human form, he's very attractive-,"

"He's a snake," The other two spoke, their tones deadpanned.

"Yes yes, I know, both literally and figuratively- but still…"

Will's grin matched that of Irma's, "Well, putting aside the fact that this is treason…but Phobos isn't _too_ bad looking himself."

"Not you too!" The raven-haired girl wailed.

"High-five to that babe!" Irma held her hand up for Will to slap. She complied before the both of them collapsed into giggles. Will had an easier time than Irma, who was quickly bowled over by fits of coughing.

"If only he'd shave that little thing under his chin," The red-hair thoughtfully expressed by rubbing her own two fingers under her chin.

Hay-Lin just couldn't seem to get rid of her shocked expression. "Irma has the cough medicine gotten to you? And did my grandma put something in your soup, Will?"

* * *

It was probably too much to hope for, that when 4 out of 5 of the guardians were out of action, they wouldn't have to deal with Phobos. Of course, it would just be downright stupid if they believed that… 

Will was glad that somehow, these skimpy outfits they had to wear as guardians had some sort of constant warmness in them because she wasn't sure any of them would be able to finish a task high up in the mountains where the temperature was most likely below zero.

Taranee and Cornelia had gotten better first, not too surprisingly. They hadn't fully recovered but they could carry out the mission with Will, unlike Irma and Hay-Lin who were even more indisposed than before.

Was it the donuts? Will speculated, amused. She fluttered into a cave opening- what was it that they were looking for again? Some stone or another…

"We are forever chasing after a rock or another- why can't it be pretty? Like an amulet or special earrings?" Cornelia blew into her tissue as she followed closely behind Will. "You're so lucky you've got the Heart, it sucks being sick."

"I second that," Taranee's voice filtered through the darkness, a few feet ahead of Will.

"I'm not so sure the Heart is that helpful- I can't even heal a simple flu bug for you guys," She grumbled. Her eyes were sharp for anything unusual.

"Mmm at least you aren't sick. It probably only works for magical ailments then," Cornelia supplied. She groaned when her hand touched something slimy on the wall. "Ewe…" A shudder wracked her delicate body before she flew ahead of Will. "Let's just do this quickly."

The other two agreed.

* * *

Their mission had gone without a hitch (bad guys and all) and by the time winter vacation arrived, Cornelia, Taranee, Irma and Hay-Lin were overjoyed. 

"Talk about awesome luck!" A healthy, vibrant Hay-Lin said as she took a deep breath. "Ahhh…I can finally breathe through my nose again!"

Taranee was too busy scooping up snowballs to render a reply. She was on her fourth one before one smacked her in the chest. "What the-,"

"BWAHA!" Irma chortled before dashing away, a few snowballs flying past her.

Cornelia frowned, "Has anyone seen Will?"

* * *

Will was a grouch and she knew it. Before she left for the pharmacy, she had snapped at her mom, she had ignored the ringing of her phone and her cell phone- all she wanted was some good ol' Nyquill or Tylenol Flu to knock her out so she could just sleep. 

Her vision was a bit blurry. She tried squinting at the rows upon rows of medicine but that only served to make her head pound even more.

"This might be what you're looking for," Came a snobby tone before a slender, pale hand clutching a packet of Tylenol Flu came into her vision.

She cast a glance up at the guy, mumbled her thanks and walked away. Reacting to the tingling sense in the back of her head, she clutched the throbbing Heart of Kandrakar and looked behind her. All she saw was a blurry figure dressed in something black waving at her. Was it someone she knew?

Her head throbbed and she turned to the cashier. "How much is this?" She held up the medicine.

* * *

Phobos chuckled as he brought his hand down and rubbed his now-bare chin. If it was always this easy to get close to the Guardians, he wouldn't have to work so hard. "Cedric…the girl, please?" 

A blond man appeared next to him, bowing slightly. "Of course, my lord."

* * *

**Notes: **Obviously, Phobos had to go after Will. Obviously Cedric was the one to do it. It was really suppose to be a light-hearted fic and the two of them really have no way of getting together- plus, it was a good reason for me to have Phobos shave that goatee. Really, what was the man thinking? I wanted to make the ending ambiguous as to whether or not Will got caught because 1.) Iwas unsure as to how I wanted to end it- if they did get together, this would be far longerand 2.) It's more fun when readers get to choose the ending. So I hope you enjoyed this next installment of WITCH. See you next time! 


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